The Holy Kaaba

The Kaaba (The Cube) is a building at the center of Islam's most important mosque, that is Masjid-al-Haram, Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.
The cube-shaped structure is the most sacred site in Islam . It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah "House of God". Wherever they are in the world, Muslims are expected to face the Kaaba when performing Salat.
Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a focal point for Muslims around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their common belief, spiritual focus and direction.
It is the only place on Earth that you can pray in any direction you want.
Until recently, the Kaaba was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray. However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Kaaba is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.
The cloth on the Kaaba is called the Kiswah and it is changed every year, just once, in a precise, almost well-rehearsed operation. Pilgrims visiting the Kaaba will see the cloth that has taken a whole year to complete at the hands of highly skilled professional tailors and artisans.
The process by which the Kaaba is adorned in the new kiswah entails attaching special metal hooks to the roof of the Kaaba after which the ropes from the old kiswah are cut off so that the new cloth immediately falls above it to cover it. This is to avoid the Kaaba being exposed during the change.
A spectacular feature of the Kaaba is the Black Stone, a rock surrounded by a silver frame  attached to the eastern corner. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic which, according to Muslim tradition, dates back to the time of Adam and Eve.
In short the Kaaba is a mesmerizing sight to behold.

An aspiring travel photographer.

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